Britain's Beagle Mission To Mars Done 'On The Cheap': Inquiry

B2 never stood a chance. Going to other planets costs buckets of money.

London (AFP) Nov 02, 2004
Beagle 2, the ill-fated British space probe that vanished while attempting to land on Mars, failed because the country's government wanted a mission to the Red Planet "on the cheap", a report by lawmakers said Tuesday.

The committee of British MPs attacked the government for failing initially to pledge public money to the Beagle project, and, along with the European Space Agency (ESA), for not properly monitoring it.

Although some government money was later committed, this was only after the Beagle organisers were forced to try and raise money through commercial sponsorship, the Science and Technology Committee said in its report.

"ESA and the UK wanted a Mars lander on the cheap," said committee chairman Ian Gibson.

"The DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) should have been on the pitch getting involved, rather than cheering from the touchline and coming on as a second half substitute when things went wrong.

"As a result, the scientists had to go chasing celebrities for sponsorship when they might have been testing rockets."

The tiny Beagle 2 lander, carried on the ESA Mars Express spacecraft, vanished shortly before it landed on the Red Planet on Christmas Day last year, and scientists are still not sure what went wrong.

A six-month scientific investigation said in August that possible failures could have included electronic problems, a puncture on a cushioning gas bag, a failure of the craft to deploy its instruments, heat shield damage or even the craft landing in a crater.

The probe had been due to flip open like a pocket watch after landing and make contact, but nothing was heard. In contrast, a pair of US probes sent to Mars around the same time landed perfectly and sent back streams of data.

An initial report into Beagle's loss criticised severe organisational failures with the mission, which had been intended to search for evidence of life on Mars.

The parliamentary report also condemned the mission structure, saying it was "extremely disappointing" that the British government, ESA and the Beagle 2 team did not cooperate fully.

MPs noted that Beagle 2 was treated as a late "add-on" to Mars Express, and said that future missions should be properly funded from the start and managed as a single project.

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MARSDAILY

Beagle 2: Lessons Learned

by Astrobiology Magazine
Moffett Field CA (SPX) Aug 25, 2004
The Mars Express spacecraft, carrying the Beagle 2 lander, was launched on 2 June 2003, arriving in the vicinity of Mars in December. The separation of Beagle 2 from Mars Express occurred on 19 December. The satellite continued with its successful insertion into a Mars orbit on 25 December, the day on which Beagle 2 was due to land.

UK Govt and ESA Keep Beagle 2 Failure Report Secret

London (UPI) May 24, 2004
The public may never be told why Britain's first Martian probe - Beagle 2 - disappeared last Christmas as it was about to land on Mars.

ESA: Lessons From Beagle 2 And Full Inquiry Recommendations

Paris (ESA) May 25, 2004
The Mars Express spacecraft, carrying the Beagle 2 lander, was launched on 2 June last year, arriving in the vicinity of Mars in December. The separation of Beagle 2 from Mars Express occurred on 19 December. The satellite continued its mission with its successful insertion into a Mars orbit on 25 December, the day on which Beagle 2 was due to land.

Beagle 2 Mars Lander Doomed From The Start

London (AFP) May 23, 2004
Beagle 2, the European space probe lost shortly before it landed on Mars late last year, was doomed from the start of its mission due to a lack of testing and money, a report said on Sunday. The mission was a failure waiting to happen, according to a joint report by the European Space Agency, or ESA, and British National Space Centre, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

An Interview With Colin Pillinger

Moffett Field (SPX) May 04, 2004
From 200 million miles away on Mars, the European Beagle 2 lander was intended to send back a faint 5-watt signal. To acquire that miniscule signal could be compared to picking up a cellphone call if broadcast from Mars to Earth. That phone call was intended to as a Christmas greeting to scientists listening in after Beagle 2's expected December 25th touchdown.

Beagle 2: A Fortunate Failure

Honolulu - Jan 13, 2004
Everyone interested in Mars exploration should now take a few minutes off from looking at those fine photos of Gusev Lava Flow sent back by the Spirit rover. It is time to fall on our knees, face toward Memphis and give thanks to Elvis that the British Mars lander Beagle 2 has failed. I can't think of any possible event more potentially disastrous for the future of unmanned planetary exploration than the success of this particular mission writes Jeffrey F. Bell.
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